KNOX COUNTY, Tenn. — Update (8/19): The Knox County Health Department said Friday that another person in Knox County contracted monkeypox, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the county up to two.
The first happened nearly a month ago and came from outside the county. KCHD said hospitalization wasn't necessary in that case. It said the person isolated at home to avoid spreading the virus.
"It's important to note that though more cases are occurring across the state and the country, the risk to Knox Countians remains low," a spokesperson with KCHD said.
KCHD encouraged people to reach out to their doctors or to the health department if they develop symptoms consistent with monkeypox such as a rash, fever or swollen lymph nodes.
So far, more than 14,000 U.S. cases have been reported as part of an outbreak in many countries that emerged a few months ago. However, federal officials said they are having difficulty tracking the disease since they do not have the authority to collect and connect data on who has been infected and who has been vaccinated.
Monkeypox is endemic in parts of Africa, where people have been infected through bites from rodents or small animals. It does not usually spread easily among people.
It spreads mainly through skin-to-skin contact, but it can also be transmitted through linens used by someone with monkeypox. Although it's been moving through the population like a sexually transmitted disease, officials have been watching for other types of spread that could expand the outbreak.
Symptoms include fever, body aches, chills, fatigue and bumps on parts of the body. The illness has been relatively mild in many men, but people can be contagious for weeks, and the lesions can be extremely painful.
Health leaders warned that the way it spreads is similar to a sexually-transmitted disease. Some warned that it could eventually become an entrenched STD like gonorrhea, herpes and HIV.
However, other U.S. health leaders said continued testing and vaccines can still stop the outbreak from taking root. Around two weeks ago, the Metro Public Health Department in Nashville also reported a case of monkeypox.